Former Bond girl Jane Seymour taken to court over loud parties

Former Bond girl Jane Seymour is being taken to court by her neighbours - to stop all-night parties at her country mansion.

The 56-year-old was recently given permission to hold round-the-clock events at Grade-1 listed St Catherine's Court, near Bath, Somerset - reports The Scotsman.

But the 24-hour alcohol and entertainment licence has come up against widespread opposition from locals.

Residents are fed up with rowdy revellers disturbing their tranquillity and local lanes being clogged with traffic from partygoers and delivery drivers.

As a result, St Catherine's Parish Council is taking the Hollywood actress and her director husband James Keach, 59, to court in a bid to overturn the party licence.

The council's chairman, Ian Plaister, said: "Anger and frustration about the way in which the owners and management of St Catherine's Court have chosen to impose a commercial business on local people - with no consultation and explicitly against their wishes - leave residents with no choice but to take legal action.''

Villagers say Bath and North East Somerset Council failed to listen to their concerns about public nuisance and public safety when granting Ms Seymour her licence earlier this year.

Mr Plaister added: "We must prevent an endless round of traffic chaos and blight caused by late-night entertainments, weddings and conferences.

"The narrow lanes in this peaceful part of the Cotswolds - an area of outstanding natural beauty - simply cannot cope with this sort of development."

The first hearing for the case will take place at Bath and Wansdyke Magistrates' Court on 14 August, but it is not yet known whether of not Ms Seymour will be present.

As part of the legal action, council officers are investigating if the property needs planning permission for change of use to operate commercially as a venue.

Ms Seymour bought St Catherine's Court and its 15 acres of land for £350,000 in 1984 after shooting the TV film Jamaica Inn there.

She has since spent £3 million renovating the manor with her husband, whom she married in 1993.

The couple live there for just three months of the year to avoid paying UK tax, and rent out the property for private functions.

The house has attracted many celebrities over the years, including pop star Robbie Williams and the band Radiohead, who recorded part of their hit album OK Computer there.

After years of putting up with extra traffic, late-night fireworks and noisy pop music, the locals say they have had enough.

Resident Georgia Loizou believes the party licence is attracting criminals as well as shattering the peace.

She said: "All the extra awareness caused by the marketing publicity has made us targets for opportunist thieves and petty criminals, who drive through the area looking for their chance to break into houses and shops."

Hein van Vorstenbosch, who manages the St Catherine's Court estate on behalf of Ms Seymour, made the application for the controversial licence.

Yesterday, he said neither he nor Ms Seymour was able comment on the legal proceedings.

Ms Seymour shot to stardom in 1973 after starring as Solitaire alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond film Live and Let Die.

Her acting career was revitalised in the 1990s with the hit US television show Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman.

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